Zonnestraal

Zonnestraal, Hilversum, 1928 - 1931. Sanatorium for diamond cutters designed by Jan Duiker. In the early 1990s I started photographing the derelict condition of the Dresselhuys Pavilion. This was partly inspired by the fact that, through my photography for architects, I kept being confronted with parts of designs that I suspected could also be seen in the Zonnestraal Sanatorium. The contrast between the romantic decay of the pavilion and the new variants also appealed to me. Later I continued the photography of the pavilion and compared it with the condition of the nineties. This research led to what the patient rooms look like now and a photographic record of the walls. The result is collage-like photography including the “most beautiful” wall in all the rooms. The second collage contains original parts that I hung in the kitchen elevator. The photos in the third collage give an idea of the view from the rooms. The rooms are all the same, but the view of the wing across shifts.

Learning about the history of the pavilion, I gradually became interested in how and by whom the building had been used over the years until it was left to the elements. Patients, family members, nurses, and administrative staff. An announcement in national magazines generated responses and this resulted in historical material such as photos and letters.
Subsequently I took portraits in the rooms where they lived or worked.